Stranger than fiction

They shouldn’t exist! 10 humans with mind-blowing abilities

Image: Joshua Earle

Some people are born with abilities that seem straight out of a comic book. These extraordinary senses—whether heightened sight, smell, or even resistance to pain—are all backed by science. While rare, these real-life superpowers offer a fascinating glimpse into the extremes of human potential. Here are 10 remarkable sensory abilities found in real people.

Image: Arteum.ro

Some people have "super vision" thanks to tetrachromacy, a condition in which they possess four types of cone cells in their eyes instead of the usual three. This allows them to see a broader range of colors, including subtle shades invisible to most people.

Tetrachromacy is more common in women, as the genetic mutation is linked to the X chromosome. Studies suggest that tetrachromats may distinguish up to 100 million colors—far beyond the roughly 1 million that most people can perceive.

Image: Alex Guillaume

Around 25% of people are "supertasters," meaning they have an unusually high number of taste buds. This heightened sensitivity makes them perceive bitter and sweet flavors more intensely than others.

Supertasters often avoid bitter foods like coffee, broccoli, or Brussels sprouts, but they may also experience a richer perception of flavors overall. Their ability is linked to a gene called TAS2R38, which affects taste receptors on the tongue.

Image: National Cancer Institute

Some people have a genetic mutation in the LRP5 gene that makes their bones significantly denser and more fracture-resistant. Their skeletons are almost unbreakable compared to the average person.

This mutation has been studied in families with exceptionally strong bones. Researchers hope it could lead to treatments for osteoporosis, offering insight into improving bone density in aging populations.

Image: Anastasiya Badun

Individuals with superior hearing may have a condition called hyperacusis, which allows them to detect sounds at much lower volumes than the average person. Some can even hear frequencies that are typically beyond human perception.

However, hyperacusis can be a double-edged sword—while it allows for extraordinary auditory sensitivity, it can also cause discomfort or even pain in everyday noisy environments. Some musicians and sound engineers reportedly have a mild form of hyperacusis.

Image: Towfiqu barbhuiya

A rare genetic mutation in the SCN9A gene makes certain people unable to feel pain. They can suffer injuries—or even break bones—without experiencing discomfort.

While this might sound like a superpower, it's actually quite dangerous. Pain is essential for survival, as it signals injury or harm. People with this condition often injure themselves unknowingly and may require constant medical supervision.

Image: Eli DeFaria

Hyperosmia, an enhanced sense of smell, allows some individuals to detect odors that others can’t. This ability is often linked to genetics, but can also be influenced by certain neurological conditions.

Some hyperosmics work as professional "noses" in the perfume industry, identifying and analyzing complex scents. Others use their ability in medicine, detecting diseases like Parkinson’s through smell alone.

Image: K B

Some people possess a genetic mutation in the ACTN3 gene that enhances muscle function and improves resistance to cold. This mutation is more common in Arctic populations, helping them survive extreme conditions.

Dutch athlete Wim Hof, popularly known as "The Iceman," has demonstrated remarkable cold endurance through meditation and breath control. Scientists believe his abilities result from a combination of genetic factors and intense training.

Image: Jamie Street

A small percentage of people can sense Earth’s magnetic field, similar to migratory birds. This ability, known as magnetoreception, is believed to be linked to the presence of cryptochrome proteins in the eye.

While most people are unaware of it, studies have shown that some can unconsciously detect magnetic directions. The exact mechanism is still being studied, but it hints at an ancient, possibly dormant, human navigation system.

Image: Anita Jankovic

Hyperthymesia is an ability where people remember nearly every detail of their lives, down to specific dates and conversations. Only a handful of people worldwide have been diagnosed with it.

Individuals with hyperthymesia can recall past events with photographic precision, often describing experiences from decades ago as if they just happened. Scientists believe their brains process memory differently, though the exact mechanisms remain unknown.

Image: Fitsum Admasu

Elite sprinters often carry a variation of the ACTN3 gene, also known as the "speed gene," which enhances fast-twitch muscle fibers responsible for rapid acceleration.

While training plays a major role, genetic predisposition gives some athletes a significant advantage. This gene variant is found more frequently in world-class sprinters than in the general population.

SOMETIMES WORDS ARE NOT ENOUGH

Learn about 12 Ways Animals Communicate with Each Other

Image: Syed Ahmad

From the majestic whales that traverse the ocean depths to the tiny ants orchestrating their complex colonies, animals employ an astonishing array of communication methods to convey information, establish social bonds, and navigate the challenges of their environments.

Whether through intricate dances, melodic songs, chemical signals, or the subtle nuances of body language, the animal kingdom is a vibrant testament to the myriad ways in which creatures express themselves. So join us on a journey into the fascinating world of interspecies communication, where the sounds of nature transcend the boundaries of language as we know it.

Image: David Clode

In the world of animal communication, the dances performed by various species reveal a rich language of expressions and interactions, just like they do with us. Observing bees in their hives, Karl Von Frisch uncovered a phenomenon known as the "waggle dance": upon discovering a food source, the bees returned to the hive and engaged in a dance, with fellow bees touching their abdomens. This dance communicated precise information about the direction and distance of the newfound sustenance.

The world of tiny dancers extends beyond the buzzing bees. For example, the peacock spider taps its legs to attract nearby female spiders. And clark’s grebes engage in a synchronized water ballet when seeking a mate.

Image: Nam Anh

The African elephant and the tarsier represent the extremes of the auditory spectrum. African elephants produce low-frequency vibrations below 20 hertz, imperceptible to the human ear. This method of communication transcends great distances, with an infrasound signal from one elephant reaching another over 175 miles away.

On the opposite end, the tarsier, a tiny primate, emits frequencies exceeding 20,000 Hertz—sounds beyond our hearing range. This high-pitched communication serves the tarsier well in the jungle cacophony, allowing them to exchange vital information about potential threats beyond the reach of predators.

Image: Jonathan Diemel

Cephalopods are masters of the color spectrum. They employ their remarkable ability to change hues for a lot of communicative purposes. Squid and cuttlefish utilize this skill not only to signal their availability for mating but also to assert their territorial dominance or ward off potential threats.

Octopuses, on the other hand, make good use of their color-changing abilities as a camouflage technique and a defensive signal. A sudden shift to white with black accents around their eyes communicates a feeling of vulnerability and a potential readiness to defend.

Image: David Clode

Some fish, like eels, use electricity as their conversational medium. Eels can generate electric fields with a potential of up to one volt, creating a unique form of communication.

Employing specialized electroreceptors, these fish receive signals transmitted through electric waves. Upon reception, the fish deciphers the signal's frequency and waveform, revealing the language encoded within.

Image: Nicole Wreyford

The white rhinoceros creates communal defecation sites called middens. This site acts as a type of rhino message board, as the feces contain all sorts of biological and societal information.

A midden can communicate who rules that specific area. The dominant male rhino will often defecate directly in the middle of the midden and kick around his waist, both to spread his smell around the midden and to get it stuck on his feet so that others can recognize the scent wherever he goes.

Whistles, Growls, and Hums

Image: Amy Reed

Moving into the world of verbal communication, animals showcase an amazing array of vocal prowess. Dholes, the fox-wolf lookalikes, break away from their canid relatives by employing whistles, clucks, and eerie shrieks across their expansive territories of up to 35 square miles.

Silverback gorillas command attention through humming, using it as a bell of sorts to call their group. Similarly, chimps and bonobos prove to be noisy eaters, shedding light on primate social structures through their vocalizations. Yet, prairie dogs steal the show in the complexity of their linguistic skills, using distinct calls to identify approaching predators.

Image: Svetozar Cenisev

Residing exclusively underground, the African demon mole rats have adopted a headbanging strategy to send messages to their fellow mole rats. Thumping their heads against the tunnel ceilings, these rhythmic vibrations travel through the earth, serving as a unique language in the subterranean darkness.

The pace and intensity of these percussive signals become the code of communication, allowing the demon mole rats to convey a range of meanings to their rodent companions. In the depths of the earth, where conventional sound dissipates quickly, these headbangers have found a method both unconventional and effective to transmit vital information.

Image: Vincent van Zalinge

We have been using songs to convey all kinds of emotions, birds are known to use their songs for different purposes too. In a unique mating strategy, the female Peruvian warbling antbird disrupts her partner's harmonious song to thwart potential rivals, turning their love song into a discordant domestic dispute that ensures fidelity in the avian courtship.

Another example of a bird using its song for a curious purpose is the Australian male fairy-wren: despite the threat of butcher birds, the male fairy-wrens exhibit an audacious strategy called "vocal hitchhiking". When a nearby butcher bird issues a call, male fairy-wrens boldly respond, showcasing their bravado to attract the attention of female wrens.

Image: Flavio

The sperm whales engage in a sophisticated language of clicking sounds known as "codas". These acoustic signals serve as a means of conveying information among the whales, creating a complex system akin to regional dialects.

Remarkably, sperm whales in distinct oceanic areas exhibit variations in their clicking patterns, giving rise to unique auditory signatures. Recent findings suggest the possibility of delicate variations not only between different regional groups but potentially within individual clans or even among specific whales.

Image: Tyler Quiring

Ravens communicate with each other through a distinctive form of gesticulation. Much like humans employing hand movements to emphasize points, ravens use their beaks and wings to transmit messages.

In a fascinating display, they show or offer items such as moss, stones, or twigs, often directed towards potential mates. This sign language extends beyond solo performances, with ravens showcasing interactive behaviors like clasping their bills together or collaboratively moving an object.

Image: Jonathan Mast

European bison communicate in a subtle yet powerful form, where their massive frames belie a soft-spoken language. When these herds decide to move, leadership emerges not from a dominant figure but through a communal decision-making process.

Any member of the herd, regardless of age or gender, can initiate the movement by taking a decisive 20 or more steps in a chosen direction without pausing to graze. The others, trusting this directional choice, simply follow suit. In this unique system, the leading individual becomes the de facto leader.

Image: Shashank Hudkar

In southeastern Brazil resides the black-fronted titi, a primate with a sophisticated communication system. Their remarkably dense alarm calls showcase a linguistic prowess uncommon in the animal kingdom.

The black-fronted titi stands out as one of the few species capable of syntax, expertly combining different language units into what can be considered "sentences." Their squeaking calls differentiate between ground- and sky-based threats, with rising pitches signaling the approach of caracaras, and long-legged hawks, while fading calls indicate lurking predatory cats.